There has been the first naming on the West Midlands Metro for over three years with 39 being named after local entrepreneur and philanthropist twins Roy and Don Richardson. As well as being the first naming since 28 received Jasper Carrot names on 13th November 2019 it is also the first of the Urbos100 trams to be named.
Roy and Don Richardson established a West Midlands business that now invests in real estate and growth capital around the world. Their development activity famously included the Merry Hill Shopping Centre and Star City in Birmingham, has created tens of thousands of jobs in the region over many years.
Alongside their business, the twins have also been recognised for their work through the Richardson Brothers Foundation which has supported the region’s less fortunate through dozens of community groups and charities.
Roy is now 92, but sadly Don passed away in 2007. Roy attended the naming ceremony, along with Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, in Centenary Square, Birmingham on Thursday 2nd March.
Roy Richardson said: “On behalf of my family, and particularly my late brother, I am delighted and honoured to have a West Midlands tram named after us. While the family business now invests all over the world, we remain extremely proud of our Black Country roots. Whenever we are doing business overseas we always aim to talk up the West Midlands, and are pleased that our activities have supported thousands of jobs for people in the region over the years as well as boosting the Treasury’s coffers – we understand that Merry Hill alone has generated over £1 billion in business rates since it opened. When we installed the monorail at Merry Hill there was a plan to link that up with the Midland Metro network, as it was known at the time, so we do have some history with transportation in the area. It is great to see trams once again running across the region, linking up communities and helping people to move around quickly and safely with a clean form of transport. I hope people enjoy riding on the Roy & Don Richardson tram for many years to come!”
Andy Street nominated the brothers to have a tram named after them. He said: “When I was asked to think about who should be nominated for this wonderfully West Midlands honour, Don and Roy Richardson stood out straight away. The business that Roy and his late twin brother Don built changed our region forever. The fact that the firm they founded remains in the family and is still based here is testament to the strength of their local commitment. It was only right to recognise their outstanding contribution.”
Speaking of names and 31 is now running with its full Cyrille Regis vinyls again after these had been removed during a re-vinyl in February.
And its been confirmed that Theresa Stewart is to be the first person to have a T69 and Urbos tram named after them with a naming due to take place on 8th March. Cllr Stewart was the first, and so far only female leader of Birmingham City Council. T69 11 previously carried her name.
39 at Library. This end still has a sticker over the name as seen where the darker blue square is.
A close-up of the revealed name. Aside from the Cyrille Regis name this is the standard format for West Midlands Metro names.
Reunited with its name and associated vinyls is 31. Now carrying the Cyrille Regis MBE 1958-2018 name and the silhouette image here we see the tram. (All Photographs by Andy Walters, 3rd March 2023)